Melodic mayhem from Scorpions with a trashing assist from Megadeth in Allstate Arena sell out

More than a 50 years after forming, about a half-decade since waving a false farewell and just two calendar turns since last visiting Chicago, the hard rock/heavy metal men known as Scorpions logged another sell out at the Allstate Arena. Having thrash mainstays Megadeth for support surely didn’t hurt, but one of Germany’s most aggressive musical exports continues to pack some serious strength entirely on its own.

However, it was the monster rockers “Blackout,” “Big City Nights,” “No One Like You” and “Rock You Like A Hurricane” that came down with such torrential force it felt like seeing Scorpions at any point throughout its initial conquest.

Taking cues from the group’s massive 1990 album “Crazy World,” this tour was named after the overall state of the world in 2017, but rather than dwelling on the obvious, front man Klaus Meine, guitarist Rudolf Schenker, guitarist Matthias Jabs, bassist Pawel Maciwoda and recently recruited drummer Mikkey Dee (straight out of Motörhead) turned in nothing but 100 minutes of melodic mayhem. The guys actually began on the newer note of “Going Out With A Bang” (off 2005’s “Return To Forever”), but also went right back to the beginning with a medley that included “Top Of The Bill,” “Steamrock Fever,” “Speedy’s Coming” and “Catch Your Train.”

That format returned for a power ballad set, which found Scorpions moving towards the middle of the arena and peeling back some of the eye-popping production but none of the power for slices of “Always Somewhere,” “Eye Of The Storm” and “Send Me An Angel,” followed by the entire “Wind Of Change.” Meine made sure to give a shout out to the late Lemmy prior to a pummeling cover of Motörhead’s “Overkill” and switched gears to explain the band’s partnership with Hand In Hand’s hurricane relief efforts, giving attendees a chance to text a donation during “Still Loving You.”

However, it was the monster rockers “Blackout,” “Big City Nights,” “No One Like You” and “Rock You Like A Hurricane” that came down with such torrential force it felt like seeing Scorpions at any point throughout its initial conquest. In actuality, that level of enthusiasm for Scorpions never really left, and now with multiple generations in the audience, it could foreseeably continue as long as there’s sting left in band’s tail.

Having an hour’s worth of support from Megadeth was additional icing on the cake, who may have been supporting last year’s “Dystopia,” but outside of “The Threat Is Real” and the title track, stayed focused on the group’s roots. That meant Dave Mustaine and company roared through “Sweating Bullets,” “Symphony Of Destruction,” “Peace Sells” and “Holy Wars…The Punishment Due” (amongst others) with all the attitude, insistence and assessment of current events fans have come to appreciate.